July 8 Class - Digital Responses to Videos

In response to the video Colorblind: ReThinking Race:

      I found it intriguing that the video was in some ways addressing the colloquialism "ignorance is bliss". Personally, I find this conjecture to be demonstrably fallacious, as I believe that awareness, knowledge, and understanding is vital to any aspect of one's life, but I digress. Many important aspects were touched upon in this short video, including the fact that being "colorblind" does not exude an inclusive and positive mentality, but rather a hurtful and denigrating one. Additionally, another salient point was that we are ultimately becoming "color-mute", truly not acknowledging any differences among each other. It was interesting to see how truly deleterious it can be to disregard one's race entirely, yet as humans, we still will do it on a regular basis. I think that it is truly important to not disregard one's race (in an attempt to assuage any racial stereotype or conflict), but instead acknowledge and value the difference as it truly is. One instance in my life that relates to this video is the fact that presently, at Lyndon State College, we are having our incoming freshman read the book White Like Me by Tim Wise as an introduction into our "Year of Social Justice". Upon hearing this, I inquired as to the intention of this common-read, and learned that the impetus was to help the predominantly caucasian population of Lyndon learn about race, and not from a minority's perspective. Being a caucasian male, it is true that I don't often acknowledge what it means to be "white", and I think that the ideas portrayed in the book, and this video (that ironically enough actually features Tim Wise) are important to discuss in an attempt to assuage the turmoil revolving around issues of race. It is imperative that we do not behave in a way so as to "not notice people of color", but rather acknowledge the differences in the room, and understand how your own race plays into the situation at hand...

In response to the BBC video My Autism and Me:

      I found this video to be eye-opening and truly thought provoking. As a person who has been immensely interested with the Autism spectrum, I found it very informative and in my opinion, a very successful attempt at assuaging the stigma revolving around the idea of Autism. When the majority of people think of children with Autism, their minds don't wander too far from the stereotypical severe cases where an individual is vastly "different" from the "normal" person. I found that the video accurately offered an empathetic view into the lives of four children who normally would be generalized and potentially ostracized, and showed the viewer what "normal" is to them. In that quick 14 minutes, Rosie King was able to capture the audience with the fact that even though these people may be "different", there is no reason why they can't necessarily be successful and integrated into society with everyone else. I found that one of the main points of this video was that even though individuals with Autism may be perceived as being "different", they are in fact constructing their own definition of normal, and in my opinion, it is in this subjective belief where we can find a true way to break the colloquial idea of what normal is to begin with...

In response to the TEDx video Seeing Beauty for a change:

      This was one of the most amazing videos that I've ever seen regarding shifting one's perspective. Rick did an amazing job of showing how what we see in people as differences or aberrations should instead be seen as beautiful and unique. Typically, when one looks up a "disorder" or "disease", the litany of negative images is abundant, as he accurately showed in his talk. These images and negative connotations certainly bolster the stigma and isolation that these "different" individuals often face, when ironically, their differences should be valued as uniquely beautiful and rare. It was inspiring to see how one photographer noticed this issue, and successfully acted upon it in a way that showcased the problem with societal views to the entire world. Flipping the image from always negative and never positive to what he has done with his work has influenced a true culture of change in the world, that definitely was needed. In addition, the sorrowful stories revolving around someone having a disease can now be portrayed as having a rare beautiful trait. In my opinion, one of the most important points made in his talk comes in the middle, where he says that the girl who was originally reticent will walk with her head higher that next day, and that she will ultimately change the way the community sees her difference. By falling victim to the abuse and displaying the emotional turmoil in public, a "different" individual ironically justifies that he/she does in fact have something to be ashamed about. Conversely, showing pride, happiness, and positive self-image can and will make other members of society who may think their "normal", stop, and as Rick puts it, "gaze a little longer and see beauty in that difference".

In response to the video A Credo for Support:

      This was another unbelievably powerful video that not only showed how the preconceived notions and stereotypes that we have about disabled people are wrong, but also delved into the fact that how we think we need to help these people is entirely wrong as well. One of the most powerful statements came at the end, when three individuals strongly proclaimed the following: "Do not work on me. Work with me." By showing that these individuals do not feel that they have anything wrong with them, and instead it is our perceptions, this video truly depicts the problem with society. We must not work on people in an attempt to make them behave in the way that we deem appropriate, but instead, work with these people with the belief that they have the same ability as us and are just as capable. Another powerful statement came in the middle of the video, when one woman stated, "Do not help me, even if it makes you feel good, ask me if I need your help. Let me show you how you can best assist me." Often we find ourselves feeling sorry for an individual who is (as we inaccurately put it) "suffering" from a disorder, and thus feel the need to help, thinking that we'll be seen as selfless, when in reality, we are doing that person a disservice and treating them as if they are worse off and less-able than us. Realizing that there is no "normal" way to do things, and gaining a better understanding of the fact that everyone is truly different in their own unique way is truly the first step to assuaging the stigma of associated with many (mislabeled) "disorders" of society. 

      All of these videos made me think of a time in my life when, (as a psychology major), I had a major problem with the fact that all of the categories in the DSM revolved around the idea of "disorders". As many psychology majors tend to do, I self-diagnosed all the time, and found myself having a litany of these "disorders", but rather than categorizing myself as having a detriment, I found these traits to be some of my positive attributes. My Generalized Anxiety "Disorder" allows me to rationalize all of the potential negative consequences of situations, and thus has aided in my being branded a "goody-two-shoes" by my peers. My Obsessive-Compulsive behaviors made me more organized, and thus punctual with school-related items and in many other aspects of my life. I mean, as a kid, I don't think it was a disorder that my presents were neatly stacked after I opened them on Chanukah, it just made my clean-up faster...

We shouldn't judge things in life purely at face-value...Even though many of life's categories associated with being different are deemed as disorders doesn't mean they should be seen as such...